ISL Stat Pack: Five points dropped from winning positions by East Bengal!

East Bengal are yet to win a single match in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) season after playing four and are languishing on the 10th spot with two points.

They have neither looked fluent in the attacking third nor have been solid defensively. The Kolkata giants have already conceded 10 goals and currently hold the worst defensive record after matchday four. In fact, the Red and Golds have lost five points from winning position, something which would be of concern for coach Manolo Diaz.

In their season opener against Jamshedpur FC, they took the lead when Franjo Prce scored in the 17th minute. But a lapse in concentration in the dying seconds of the first half allowed Peter Hartley to score the equaliser. Similarly, against Odisha, they broke the deadlock through Darren Sidoel in the 13th minute, but their resistance was breached by Hector Rodas after the half-hour mark, and then they fell like a pack of cards.

In both matches, they started well but could not maintain the momentum to pick three points.

ISL

On the other hand, FC Goa find themselves in a worrisome position as they have lost all three matches. They were comprehensively beaten by Mumbai City FC and Jamshedpur FC, and in their last match, a pile drive from NorthEast United's Khassa Camara ensured that they left the field empty-handed.

Both teams will look to put their poor start to the season on the back burner and register their first win. So, for neutrals, the match promises be an exciting affair.

Let us now take a look at some of the interesting facts regarding the two teams.

1. SC East Bengal are on an eight-match winless run (D3 L5), a loss or draw on Tuesday will see them register their longest winless run in the ISL.
2. When FC Goa had lost three consecutive matches at the start of 2016 season, they finished at the bottom of the table that year.
3. No player has created more chances from open play in the current Indian Super League season than FC Goa’s Alberto Noguera (9).
4. SC East Bengal have conceded 40% (4 out of 10 goals) of their goals 15 minutes before half-time, the most by a team during this period.
5. FC Goa’s Seriton Fernandes has the best long passing rate in the current campaign of the Indian Super League for any player to have attempted a minimum of five such passes this season (91%). 10 of his 11 long passes have been successful.

(Stat Courtesy: Opta Jeev)